Blog redesign!

Women Making Moves is undergoing a redesign. Woot! Look forward to us returning soon.

Women, start making your Moves today!

Do you have a Circle of Sisters?

Do you ever come across women you absolutely admire? Women who are doing awesome things, are successful and appear to have it all.? Not, this isn't a fairytale, women like this do exist. But, it's a great possibility these women had a Circle of Sisters, a group of women they can always depend on, to help make their success possible.

Forming a sisterhood that motivates you to not only succeed in accomplishing your goals, but exceeding them, may not be as easy as it appears. Consider this, not everyone will have your best interests in mind, even those who you consider close friends. Therefore, choose a network of women you can openly share your goals and ideas with. You have to be completely comfortable knowing your Circle of Sisters won't disregard any information you share with them.

I've included a photo of my informal Circle of Sisters. These ladies are just a phone call away when I want to share something exciting or not so exciting. Take a moment to access your closest friendships, is there someone you can form a circle with? Ultimately, whoever you choose to welcome into your circle should be open to sharing their aspirations as well. A Circle of Sisters group is a two-way street. We're over halfway through the year, but it's not too late to put forming your circle on your to-do-list.

Women, start making your Moves today!

Mentoring future Women Making Moves

For the past five years, I've had the honor of mentoring a group of high school girls through the Delta GEMS (Growing and Empowering Myself Successfully) program, which is an initiative through my sorority, Delta Sigma Theta. The program is designed for young women between the age of 14 to 18 years old to "catch the dreams of African-American at-risk, adolescent girls." Whenever I read the program's mission, it hits me the impact I have on their lives.

I begin working with the group when I relocated to New York from Louisiana. Twice per month, myself and a committee of three other members of my sorority, lead the program participants in community service activities, SAT prep, cultural field trips, and goal setting. And this is just a sample of the activities we conduct. I'm a big believer in mentoring and "reaching back as I climb." I've been blessed to have a number of positive role models from my mother to my aunts and sisters. Others have not been as fortunate. But I should point out that most of the young women in the program come from households that require as much, if not more from them, than I do.

While I never feel the time I volunteer is enough, I'm thankful I get the opportunity to do the little I can. One of my favorite quotes is "few burdens are heavy when everyone lifts." If we all take this mentally, the idea of mentoring will become second nature, a wish I'm hoping becomes reality.

Women, start making your Moves today!

PR student, Yanique Shaw's quest for an entry-level job opportunity

April 30th marks HAPPO (Help a PR Pro Out) Day and I'm doing my part to help a public relations student from the Class of 2010. HAPPO was launched in early February by Valerie Simon and Arik Hanson with the purpose of helping job seekers. The concept quickly took off with the help of social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Hundreds of blog posts are expected on April 30 showcasing outstanding students looking for their first professional PR job.

I'm using this Women Making Moves post to highlight Yanique Shaw, a student I met through Twitter (you can follow her tweets here). Yanique's a senior at Salem State College and currently serves as president of her school's PRSSA chapter. She's extremely passionate about the PR field and it show's through her online presence. In addition to actively using Twitter for her job search, Yanique also maintains her own blog and has an online portfolio of her work. Yanique's provided a summary of her qualifications, which you can read below. If you're aware of an opportunity that may be a fit for Yanique, don't hesitate to Help a PR Pro Out!

"My name is Yanique Shaw, currently a graduating senior at Salem State College, pursuing a degree in Public Relations and Marketing. My focus is fashion, lifestyle, consumer and beauty PR. With over four years of experience in retail, internships at a PR agency, corporate PR and marketing office, and in retail I have tailored my college career to prepare me to provide a wide variety of value to your business. I make it my priority to network, follow the latest trends in PR, marketing and fashion. I am driven, focused and ready to learn how I can make a positive and profitable employee at your firm."

Women, start making your Moves today!

Celebrating women at the Girl Geek Dinner

Hi my fellow Women Making Move(rs)! It's been a while since I've attended a networking event, work and school have kept me busy, but on April 27 I made sure to attend the Girl Geek Dinner in NYC. Girl Geek Dinners originated across the pond in Europe and now take place throughout the U.S. The NYC organizers, Melissa Bailey, Jennifer Drue and Emily Huang, pulled together a great event. The topic for the evening was: 'New York Top Laws Firms' CIOs working with Technology." Speakers included Karen Levy, Director of Global Technology at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP; Marsha Stein, CIO at Ropes & Gray; and the lone Guy Geek on the panel, Tony Cordeiro, CIO at White & Case LLP. You may be wondering if Tony was the only male there, thankfully for him he wasn't. Males can attend the dinners if invited by a Girl Geek.

The panelists were open about their roles as women in the tech field. The work/life balance question came up and everyone agreed it can be difficult to jungle both. Panelist Karen Levy shared that she took three years off after her last child was born. She didn't regret her decision, but Karen pointed out it took her five years to return to the professional level she held prior to her time away from the workplace. This may have been a set back for some, but Karen has climbed higher up the corporate ladder and never lets her gender determine her success. Tony also shared that he's adjusted his schedule to be home in the evenings to spend with his children.

Each panelist shared valuable information, but Marsha made a statement that stood out. Marsha shared that she doesn't have the traditional technology background one would expect of a Chief Information Officer. She credits her degree, a Master's in Library Science, as the foundation for her role as CIO. This is an eye opener for other women who may feel they don't have the skills to work in the technology field. Consider hands-on-learning by shadowing someone in the job you want, return to school and complete a certificate program or use the vast resources on the web to learn a skill you're not trained in, but have a passion for. I always leave energized after a Girl Geek Dinner. The best part of the dinner was reconnecting with Funky Brown Chick Twanna. We haven't seen one another in ages. The next dinner is scheduled for June 2010. Visit the Girl Geek Dinner NYC website for more information closer to the event date.

Women, start making your Moves today!

Turning Around Detroit

On Sunday night, Dateline's Chris Hansen showcased Detroit and a number of issues facing the city. The behind the scenes documentary, "America Now: City of Heartbreak and Hope," highlighted Detroit's mayor who said being mayor "is the toughest sell of my life." Native resident Kid Rock promises he'll never turn his back on the city and parents discuss the difficulty of raising children in a high-crime area.

The feature was an eye opening experience for many, as you can see from the Twitter conversations that took place during and after the show. A number of people expressed the lack of knowledge they had regarding the city and its problems. Many were disappointed that the Dateline feature only included negative aspects of Detroit and failed to showcase the positive things taking place in Detroit. One Twitter user, David Murray, shared a tweet encouraging residents to turn any anger they may have towards the special to doing something positive for the city.

His tweet immediately reminded me of a story I read in the January 2010 edition of Essence Magazine about Kim Worthy, the Wayne County Prosecutor who has become "the conscience of Detroit." Ms. Worthy is best known for convicting Detroit's corrupt former mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick. Like others, Ms. Worthy knows a radical change is needed to save Detroit. And she does her part by helping to keep the city as safe as possible.

The special may provide the boost needed to turn Detroit around. A drastic overhaul of the city, starting with innovative ideas, can help Detroit be even better than it was in it's heyday from the auto industry. Women Making Moves salutes Ms. Worthy and others who are making Detroit a great city again. Since the conversation has started, we would like you to share your thoughts on turning around Detroit. I believe the focus should be education. Once that foundation is established, the possibilities are endless. Please provide your ideas for Detroit in the comments section.

Women, start making your Moves today!

Turn Your Dream Event into a Reality with Kimberly Clark

Ask and you shall receive. That's exactly what has happened since asking readers to submit suggestions for the blog's "Women Under the Radar" feature. Best friends, fathers, mothers and strangers have come forward to point out women they admire. I'm inspired by the many women I've come to know through Women Making Moves. They are amazing individuals.

This post recognizes Kimberly Clark, a Wedding and Event Producer with drezrehersal Event Planning Co. in Southern California. drezrehersal's mission is to help clients during the creation, planning and execution process of their event. Each event is custom created and clients can expect breath taking designs that might include a combination of flowers, props, fabrics or lighting.

Kimberly is the ultimate professional. With over 16 years of experience, she's known for her out-of-the-box concepts and designs. She's been recognized as a Who's Who in Black Los Angeles, included on the myFOX Los Angeles Hot List and has been featured in Glamour Magazine. Kimberly's bio is filled with involvement as a Regional Director with the Downtown Women's Club, the National Association of Female Executives and the Association for Wedding Professionals International. Kudos to Kimberly for making dreams come true through her exquisite events.

Women, start making your Moves today!